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Mel Kiper Jr. would have selected TCU’s Jerry Hughes in first round, given Dolphins a C-plus

Told he was receiving some heat in South Florida for his C-minus grade of the Dolphins’ draft, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. explained himself.

He also admitted he “might have been a little harsh” rating the efforts of Bill Parcells, Jeff Ireland and the Dolphins braintrust among the six lamest in the league – ahead of just one team (Jacksonville) and tied with four others.

“Jerry Hughes and Koa Misi is the issue I have, it just boils down to that,” Kiper said Tuesday during a conference call. “I was big Jerry Hughes guy. I thought he was perfect for a 3-4, so subjectively when a team passed on him … remember New England passed on him, too.”

Hughes had 26 sacks during the past two seasons playing in the same conference as Misi, who had eight in the same span for the Mountain West Conference-based Utes.

Kiper said he would have used the No. 28 pick on Hughes, rather than Penn State defensive lineman Jared Odrick, then used the No. 40 pick on East Carolina defensive lineman Linval Joseph rather than Misi.

Hughes went No. 31 to the Colts, while Joseph was selected No. 41 by the New York Giants.

“I’d have gone a different route; I’d have gone and gotten the outside linebacker and defensive end a different way,” Kiper said. “It would have been Hughes and Joseph. Three years from now, we’ll see.

“Is Hughes and Joseph a better tandem than Odrick and Misi?”

Kiper continued: “I have no problem with Odrick and Misi. I expected Odrick to be a first-round pick. I thought Misi would go in that third-round area, maybe the second, and he did.

“They weren’t reaches, they’re good football players. I just would have gone a different way.”

Kiper, on the other hand, did think Ole Miss offensive lineman John Jerry was a reach by the Dolphins at No. 73.

Kiper said the ensuing picks were “OK,” though he said Georgia safety Rashed Jones “could be a good fifth-round pick.”

In the end, Kiper said he’d probably have graded the Dolphins’ draft a little better.

“Of all those grades I gave that might have been a little harsh, that’s the only team I might have adjusted,” Kiper said. “It’s a very subjective gut feel, I put those things up 10 minutes after the draft.

“If I had a mulligan, I probably would have given Miami a C-plus not a C-minus.”